Action: Karate Kid
Karate Kid
Year: 2010
Score: 7.9
Bottom Line: Try it - you'll like it!
When I first heard they were remaking the Karate Kid, I scoffed. I didn't love the movies as a kid. I knew they were iconic and classic and still they weren't my favorite.
And then I saw the trailer for this new Karate Kid and thought it might actually be good. The shift to China and kung fu and a good dose of Jackie Chan action seemed promising.
Fortunately, I wasn't let down. This Karate Kid works. Jaden Smith resembles his father from time to time and has a nice bit of a good little actor. Jackie Chan gives a decent performance and has a classic Jackie Chan fight scene which is great.
The story is pretty much the same as the original, just reinvented. It's funny in places and sincere in others, of course also inspiring. The changes they made work well with the new setting and with the new century. Though, put your jacket on doesn't work nearly as well as wax on, wax off. There are allusions to the previous film that are subtle which works nicely. And there's actually really good moments unique to this film and some exceptional lines.
The other great thing about this version is that the kids are phenomenal. I'm sure stunt doubles were used at some time, but it's got to be hard to find professional stunt guys with the physique of a 12 year old boy. And there are shots where it's clear the kids are doing their own work, which is exciting and surprising and fantastic.
The problem is that it's too long. It's two and a half hours and the story can't bear the weight of that much time. It's thiry minutes in before it even begins to tell the story. And, while the pacing does actually work because it doesn't feel slow or languid, there's just too many moments and scenes designed to make the story significant and realistic that the audience just doesn't need.
If it had been an hour and a half you could enjoy the inspiration and the action over and over. But, as it is, it's not worth investing another two and half hours into watching again.
Year: 2010
Score: 7.9
Bottom Line: Try it - you'll like it!
When I first heard they were remaking the Karate Kid, I scoffed. I didn't love the movies as a kid. I knew they were iconic and classic and still they weren't my favorite.
And then I saw the trailer for this new Karate Kid and thought it might actually be good. The shift to China and kung fu and a good dose of Jackie Chan action seemed promising.
Fortunately, I wasn't let down. This Karate Kid works. Jaden Smith resembles his father from time to time and has a nice bit of a good little actor. Jackie Chan gives a decent performance and has a classic Jackie Chan fight scene which is great.
The story is pretty much the same as the original, just reinvented. It's funny in places and sincere in others, of course also inspiring. The changes they made work well with the new setting and with the new century. Though, put your jacket on doesn't work nearly as well as wax on, wax off. There are allusions to the previous film that are subtle which works nicely. And there's actually really good moments unique to this film and some exceptional lines.
The other great thing about this version is that the kids are phenomenal. I'm sure stunt doubles were used at some time, but it's got to be hard to find professional stunt guys with the physique of a 12 year old boy. And there are shots where it's clear the kids are doing their own work, which is exciting and surprising and fantastic.
The problem is that it's too long. It's two and a half hours and the story can't bear the weight of that much time. It's thiry minutes in before it even begins to tell the story. And, while the pacing does actually work because it doesn't feel slow or languid, there's just too many moments and scenes designed to make the story significant and realistic that the audience just doesn't need.
If it had been an hour and a half you could enjoy the inspiration and the action over and over. But, as it is, it's not worth investing another two and half hours into watching again.